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History Help ID a 1919 hot rod?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Tinbender, Dec 16, 2012.

  1. J scow
    Joined: Mar 3, 2010
    Posts: 487

    J scow
    Member
    from Seattle

    I think this may be being underthought. There may be T components but that frame and suspention came from????
     
  2. J scow
    Joined: Mar 3, 2010
    Posts: 487

    J scow
    Member
    from Seattle

    There were alot of car companies back then. Im sure they took some que's from Henry.
     
  3. Uncle Thor walks into a bar and spots a hot looking chickee.
    Hi, I'm Thor.
    Oh, I'm tho thorry.:p
     
  4. gwhite
    Joined: Sep 1, 2007
    Posts: 3,136

    gwhite
    SUPER MODERATOR

    I've been around T's long enough to know them when I see them. It's a T frame with parallel leaves and frame horns bolted on. Front crossmember - T, frame profile - T, front engine mount - T, rear radius rods - T, brake rods - T, front axle - T.
     
  5. Any one have any ideas of the year of the body? I'm dating it @ 1919, due to the star on the CA. plate. It was taken at my great grandmothers chicken ranch. I was told Thor took off about 1920. My grand father told me the last thing Thor told him was "no way I'm gonna be a ****in chicken farmer the rest of my life!" So far I haven't been able to match the hood to any T pictures I've looked at from pre 1920.
     
  6. pasadenahotrod
    Joined: Feb 13, 2007
    Posts: 11,772

    pasadenahotrod
    Member
    from Texas

    The body, hood and Radiator & shell are aftermarket speedster pieces on a T-based ch***is.
    Try looking for a book called "The Ford T in Speed and Sport".
    Those tall radiators and shells were very popular on early Speedster conversions.
     
  7. About the relationship between the front axle and the crossmember, I bet that the axle is out in front of the crossmember just enough to clear it.
     
  8. Thanks! That helps with the confusion on my part. Guys I know and respect are insisting it's a T, and I'm looking at T pictures that don't look anything like that. :eek: :D I wasn't kidding when I said I didn't know anything about early cars! And thank you all for taking the time to answer. I have very few things from that era of my families history, and not a lot of info. This picture is important to me.

    So was this most likely a race car, or was hot rodding to that extent common? This seems like some pretty major modifications for the time.
     
    Last edited: Dec 21, 2012
  9. Reminds me of a girl I took to the fair. Kept saying she wanted to get weighed. I took her to the guy that guesses your weight four times. Then she told me she was having a wousy time............
     
  10. Atwater Mike
    Joined: May 31, 2002
    Posts: 11,618

    Atwater Mike
    Member

    Mystery solved! Uncle Thor went to Indy, painted the car, placed in the 33 car event, and never looked back.

    GREAT pic, wish I had some of my family's old pics.
     
  11. J scow
    Joined: Mar 3, 2010
    Posts: 487

    J scow
    Member
    from Seattle

    I went out back and checked out a T axle a couple hours ago... sure enough looks the same.
     
  12. Speedsters were pretty common back then. A guy could buy a used or wrecked "T" for 5 or 10 dollars. Strip off the body, bolt a couple of seats onto a wooden platform that's bolted to the frame and, Bingo, instant sports car. If he had a few bucks he might send off for a Mercury Speedster body or something similar. Many did have the high radiator and hood, suggesting great power. Look at pix of old Grand Prix FIATs and the like. Thor's car is pretty nice with the frame and suspension modifications. Most speedsters were all Ford under the skin. There was some thought and elbow grease involved. It was, likely, not a race car but I can imagine Ol' Thor may have been involved in a few contests of speed and derring do. "Yessiree Bob, she'll do 60 mahlnour on flat ground."
     

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